


Faking the Dead

by inquisitor_tohru



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Blood and Injury, Fake Character Death, Fix-It, Gen, Helping Your Ex Fake Their Own Death, Impied Reyes/Ryder, Reyes Vidal Appreciation Week 2017
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-28
Updated: 2020-05-28
Packaged: 2021-03-03 06:01:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 611
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24420064
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inquisitor_tohru/pseuds/inquisitor_tohru
Summary: Zia Cordier needs to disappear, and Reyes Vidal owes her a favour.
Relationships: Zia Cordier & Reyes Vidal
Kudos: 2





	Faking the Dead

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote and posted this on tumblr for Reyes Vidal Appreciation Week all the way back in 2017, and just realised that for some reason I never got round to posting it on here. So here we go!

_“I keep turning over new leaves, and spoiling them, as I used to spoil my copybooks; and I make so many beginnings there never will be an end.”_

\- Louisa May Alcott, _Little Women_

* * *

“I knew I wasn’t popular, but I never thought the other smugglers would team up against me… Kind of flattering, actually.”

She tried to focus on the voices, on the cold metal pressed against her cheek – on anything but the searing pain. _Hurry it up._ She heard the other figure walk towards the speaker. It was hard for anyone to move quietly in that clunky armour. 

“They might try again.” The smug bastard actually _chuckled_ at that.

“You worried about me?”

_“Reyes.”_

“ _Relax._ I know they’re coming now. They won’t get the jump on me.” Reyes let out a long sigh. “All that effort and no credits to show for it.”

“Not everything has to be about credits.” _I swear, if I could roll my eyes right now…_

“That’s true. What you said back there…about me being a better man. Thank you.”

“You’re welcome.” _Another_ sigh.

_Still a dramatic bastard, then._

“I should clean up this mess. Zia was a piece of work, but it feels wrong to leave her out in the open – go on, I’ll take care of this.”

_About time._

The metal shard was beginning to dig into her cheek, drawing blood. Nothing in comparison to the cracked ribs and the shattered shoulder blade, but it was another thing she could do without. When the door slid shut, she took a long, deep breath.

“Thank goodness _one_ of us is a good actor.”

“ _Medi-gel_ , Reyes. Any time now.” He chuckled as he tinkered with his omni-tool, preparing to to apply the medi-gel, as Zia struggled to remove her armour.

“Let me help?” She nodded, then hissed as he removed her left spaulder, a sharp pain shooting through her shoulder. “Sorry about that.”

“I have to say…I never expected the Pathfinder to carry a _Krogan hammer._ ”

“It is…really something. Hold still a moment?” Zia watched as he administered the medi-gel, gritting her teeth as flesh and bone knitted together once again. She never did manage to get used to the sensation – part of the reason she tended to hang back in firefights, favouring her sniper rifle over a pistol or melee weapon. Still, she could hardly say she wasn’t grateful to the good old Sirta Foundation. When she had enough credits, she really ought to invest in some of their body armour if anyone had thought to bring spare suits along for the ride to Andromeda.

She rolled her shoulder back and forth a couple of times before removing her chest plate, trying not to wince _too_ obviously, even if she and Reyes had been in this situation – had done this for one another – too many times to count since coming to Kadara. Briefly, she wondered if she’d miss it.

Leaning back against one of the crates Zia lifted her vest to expose her midriff, marvelling at the way the bruises shrunk beneath the thin film of medi-gel until they vanished completely.

“Good as new,” Reyes grinned. “You’re a much better patient than you used to be.”

“You’re not so bad yourself… _sometimes._ ”

“So, now that _Zia Cordier_ is no longer with us…what’s next?”

“Well.” Zia figured enough time had passed by now. She stood, grabbed her trusty sniper rifle, and winked back at him on her way to the door. “If I told you that, I’d have to kill you.” He laughed again.

“I’d _love_ to see you try.”

“Ha! Careful what you wish for – oh, and Reyes?”

“Mmm?”

“Thank you.”


End file.
